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The Boston Celtics enter the 2021-22 NBA season with a wide spectrum of expectations.

Following a season that saw the team bounced from the playoffs in the opening round for the first time since 2016, major changes unfolded in Boston.

Danny Ainge retired after nearly 20 years as a front office executive with the Celtics.

Brad Stevens then took his place as President of Basketball Operations in Boston.

Stevens followed by bringing in Ime Udoka to pilot the club back into contention.

Now, in a division loaded with playoff hopefuls, this retooled Celtics team needs to come together quickly to avoid a similar fate as last season.

One year after making the Conference Finals, the Celtics sputtered to 36-36 record, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division.

If the team isn’t careful, they could finish there again in 2021-22.

Celtics Not Standing Pat

Boston has been one of the most active teams this offseason.

Stevens hit the ground running in his first year as general manager, working through five different trades alone this offseason.

Stevens started by trading Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City in a deal that saw the return of center Al Horford to Boston.

He then acquired swingman Josh Richardson in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

Stevens followed that by joining a three-team deal where the Celtics acquired Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando, and a second-round pick.

Stevens sent away Evan Fournier in a sign-and-trade deal with the New York Knicks.

And, most recently, flipped Dunn and Carsen Edwards for forward Juancho Hernangomez.

In free agency, Boston brought back center Enes Kanter and added point guard Dennis Schröder.

The team also re-signed veteran guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams III.

All of these moves were meant to augment the roster around the team’s two stars, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

If this group can coalesce around their stars, then there’s a chance the Celtics climb the Atlantic Division standings.

Concerns For Next Season 

Boston finished behind the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks last season.

Had the Toronto Raptors not suffered through injuries and temporary relocation, they might’ve beaten out the Celtics in the standings as well.

The Raptors, though, remain the only Atlantic Division team that didn’t make meaningful improvements for the upcoming campaign.

Brooklyn loaded up its roster with capable veterans to deploy around their big three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks look to take another step forward after adding former Celtics Fournier and Walker to the mix.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, added depth behind Joel Embiid and re-signed their shooters.

The Celtics made many moves as well, but it remains to be seen if Boston’s core can overcome these divisional foes.

Questions linger around their young core despite making deep runs in the playoffs recently.

But the mix-and-match approach of veterans around Brown and Tatum has yet to see the Celtics make another NBA Finals appearance.

What’s more, the team now turns to Udoka, who will be an NBA head coach for the first time in his career.

Concerns around roster chemistry could linger into the early parts of the season.

And any coaching learning curve for Udoka might see a slip in the standings for the Celtics.

The biggest concern in the division, though, might be in Philadelphia, where the Ben Simmons situation remains unresolved.

If the 76ers move off Simmons and the return lacks a true All-Star talent, the Celtics might be able to leap ahead in the standings.

Boston also may need to hope for a regression from the Knicks, who surprised many with their run to the 4-seed last season.

This article first appeared on The Cold Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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